New Books DC Could Do In The Context Of The New 52 RIGHT NOW

So, you know how yesterday, I talked about how many different female characters DC could have starring in books right now? Well, in hindsight, there’s a lot of characters, male and female, that could use their own books, and just a whole whack of books that DC COULD be doing right now, without changing much about the current direction of The New 52 (I WOULD change it to at least be less bleak and grim, but whatever). And hell, they really SHOULD do this, since, as has been well established by now, The New 52 is no longer new, nor does it have 52 books, hence they could use some brand new books to get it back up to 52 and freshen things up at the same time. And before anyone says that the name refers to the new state of the Multiverse, I call bullshit, since they only started putting out books involving more worlds than just the primary one eight months into said relaunch, and only began showing the full changes to the Multiverse this past year. But yeah, new books. Here’s just a few that come to mind.

Red Robin

Believe it or not, but I really DO hate to sound like a broken record. With that said, I still don’t get why Red Robin doesn’t have his own book, when Tim Drake was the first Robin to get his own solo series, which lasted for quite some time. Now, as an alternative to giving him his own book, you could otherwise give him Detective Comics (because Batman has enough books that he’s currently starring in, and Detective Comics could use a new protagonist to be honest), or even just a back-up in Detective Comics.

Justice League of Amazons

Does anybody else remember the story where the JLA was split up by alien invaders erasing all knowledge of the group, leading to the individual members creating eight or so different Justice Leagues? Well, one of the teams was called the Justice League of Amazons. How would I do that? Basically, I’d have all the female ex-Justice Leaguers from the various League teams in The New 52 banding together. So, characters like Vixen, Fire and Ice (assuming Fire came out of her coma, I have no idea), Katana, and Black Orchid, while also adding Batgirl (because of course we gotta have a Bat on the team, lol), and taking the time to finally bring back Troia, since apparently that woman in Future’s End is NOT Donna Troy.

Spoiler

This one actually has interesting timing, since apparently the Smallville books are coming to an end, meaning Bryan Q. Miller could write. I’m just gonna say this right now, and I sincerely hope that someone in charge of DC is listening: You do a Stephanie Brown book with Bryan Q. Miller as the writer, and just let him do a good book without much in the way of interference, I will HAPPILY buy that book. Just let him do his thing, which is showing Steph do her thing.

Cyborg

I still maintain that having Cyborg be the only member of The New 52’s magnificent seven (or the Super Seven, as Barry Allen claims) who doesn’t have his own book is just dumb. Granted, it’s made for some great Cyborg-centric stories in Justice League (yeah, believe it or not, I really like some of the stuff they do with Cyborg in that book), but I just feel that he could have his own book. Hell, maybe even follow up on his arc in Forever Evil and call it ‘Cyborg and the Metal Men’.

Poison Ivy

…No, really, I DO hate to be a broken record. With Poison Ivy, I would follow up on Batgirl Annual #2, with Ivy trying to get through her issues. Maybe they could do something neat where she’s staying in Arkham for help, but she also sneaks out at night to help people. Also, while I would hesitate to say I wanna see a crossover with Batgirl but would still understand it and probably enjoy it nonetheless, NO CROSSOVERS with Harley. Seriously, the Harley Quinn book has made Ivy look SO bad. Now, I know that when this book first came out, I was praising the crap outta it, but honestly, after about a year, while I don’t necessarily mind Harley’s solo antics, the stuff they do with Ivy is just plain WRONG, and this whole thing with the drug-scented book is a BAD idea, and I heard rumours of some comments made by the creators that were somewhat controversial, but I don’t really wanna go there.

More Young Justice Titles

I don’t know if anyone even remembers this point anymore, but the books in The New 52 are divided into ‘families’: Justice League, Batman, Superman, Green Lantern, Young Justice, The Edge, and The Dark. Now, I could go on a long-winded rant about how Wonder Woman and Aquaman don’t have their own family books, but I won’t just yet. Instead, let’s look at the fact that there is only ONE book in the Young Justice family, and that’s Teen Titans. Let’s look at some of the younger heroes that are established right now in The New 52 alone (admittedly some of whom have appeared in Future’s End): Skitter, Vibe, Kid Flash (both of them), Solstice, Blue Beetle, Static Shock, Bluebird, Emiko, Thunder and Lightning, Hawk and Dove, Jesse Chambers, Cassandra Cain, Mary Marvel, Lagoon Boy, Firestorm, and Tanya Spears, AKA the new Power Girl (which, with her being a thing, means that Kara Zor-L should really be Power Woman now). Now, granted, some of these characters were given their own books that got cancelled, some of which kinda deserved it (looking at you, Hawk and Dove), but there’s also more than enough there that could get their own teams, or at least join up with the Titans. Actually, I keep hearing the new Power Girl might be joining up with the Titans in the future, which honestly, I would LOVE if it happened. 🙂 But yeah, needs to be new Young Justice books.

President Superman

I’m very glad that this character is highlighted rather prominently in The Multiversity, but I would LOVE to see a solo book about President Superman, and maybe even the whole world. I just love the concept…also, I would love to see the book just because I would love to see the explanation for how NO ONE knows that President Calvin Ellis is Superman. Seriously, how can NO ONE figure that out?! It’s not even a Clark Kent thing, where he wears glasses, slouches, or acts differently from how he does as Superman! Hell, his personality as both is rather similar, in that he is a compassionate yet authoritative figure! And I can understand why no one would think that Clark Kent is Superman, but who WOULDN’T suspect that the Man of Steel is someone big and important?! I dunno, it just bugs me. But otherwise, I love the concept of the character, and would love to see him get an ongoing.

Anyway, I think that’s enough to prove my point. Lemme know what books you would like to see added to The New 52, or just new books DC could do in general. Ja né!

Infinite DC – Who Is On The Justice League? (FEEDBACK REQUESTED)

So, as I’ve mentioned in the past, several of my Infinite DC fanfics are eventually leading up to a Justice League story, in particular the ending to Man of Tomorrow. Now, while the main plot of this story is pretty much decided in my head, one thing that keeps changing bit by bit is who I want on the Justice League. Five members I know for a fact will be on the team are Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Batman, and Green Lantern. The sixth slot will go to either Martian Manhunter or Cyborg, the seventh slot is still completely up in the air, and now I’m beginning to wonder if I really wanna do the standard Magnificent Seven with the group, or include an eighth slot for whoever didn’t get the sixth.

As you can see, I’m in need of feedback. Before you give it, though, let’s talk about the seventh member. The criteria for the hero that fills seventh slot is as follows:

1. They have to be a woman. I don’t want Wonder Woman to be the ONLY superheroine on a team full of dudes.
2. She cannot be a member of the Birds of Prey: Dark. Ergo, she can’t be Black Canary, Huntress, Raven, or Batwoman. There will EVENTUALLY be mingling between the two teams, just not yet.
3. She cannot be part of the extended hero teams of the other members, so not Power Girl, Batgirl, Wonder Girl, Jesse Quick, or Miss Martian.
4. She has to have some sort of power or ability that is unique to the team. So, no one who is just a strong woman who can fly.

Anyway, with that said, here are some of my most considered options for the seventh hero, as well as reasons why I might not choose each one. Keep in mind, I’m aware I could change the stuff that gives me pause to add them, but some of these things lend to possible stories I can tell later, so I don’t know that I’d want to change them.

Beatriz da Costa, AKA Fire

Fire was one of my first choices, in fact the one I’d initially decided on, for a number of reasons: Her ability to turn into and control fire, her characterization being in stark contrast to Wonder Woman’s, her Brazilian heritage giving further international flavour to the team, and the fact that, while she’s served with extended versions of the Justice League and the JLI, she’s never really been on THE team of 7 or so heroes. This would give her a unique presence to the team. Reasons why I wouldn’t want to add her is generally due to the fact that she’s known nowadays for being a tag team of sorts with Ice, so having one on the team without the other might feel odd, and her name is sadly HORRIBLY generic, not to mention can be confusing when there are other heroes with ‘Fire’ in their name, like Starfire or Firestorm.

Kendra Muñoz-Saunders, AKA Hawkgirl

Hawkgirl was again another obvious choice, given her repeated presence on the Justice League (in particular being part of the Big 7 in the DCAU League), and her incredible strength in both armed and unarmed combat. Like with many things in Infinite DC, I’d want to make her a mixture of the more commonly known Hawkgirl and the Hawkgirl from the New 52‘s Earth 2. She’d probably wear the Earth 2 costume, but rather than wield a Nth metal mace or her crossbow blaster, I’d giver her an Nth metal crossbow blaster that turns into a mace. Why? Because mêlée weapons that turn into guns are awesome. Reasons why I might not add her is just how typical it would be, and an admitted temptation to have her be on the Birds of Prey: Dark instead.

Tatsu Yamashiro, AKA Katana

Okay, I’m kinda breaking my own rules here, but I feel that Katana isn’t necessarily part of the Bat Family team, or is at least independent enough now that she could be a member. Heck, she IS a member of the Justice League of America in the comics these days, and she would bring international flavour to the team, along with that frigging badass sword. Reason why I would be hesitant to having her on the team is because she’s one of the DC characters who is probably a bit more prone to slashing people, which could conflict BAD with some of the others on the team.

Zatanna Zatara

Zatanna, because hey, the Justice League could use a little magic, right? Not to mention fishnet stockings. lol But yeah, Zatanna would be the magical expert of the team, wearing her usual stage-magician attire, and minus her relationship with assface, I-I mean Constantine. Reasons why I might be hesitant to let her into the Justice League are because, like Hawkgirl, I’m tempted to make her a member of the BoP (especially since she was a member of the Justice League Dark in the New 52, which is where Birds of Prey: Dark gets its name), and because having to write her spells backwards, while not the worst thing in the world, could be a bitch to spellcheck. XD

Mera

*GASP!* Mera and not Aquaman?! Can this be?! Well, I kind of have plans for Aquaman later on that require him to be off the team, but that doesn’t mean Mera absolutely cannot be on it. Her ability to control water, no matter where it is, would make her a major player in the Justice League, a team that I don’t think she’s ever formally joined, despite having worked with them several times. Oh, and to be clear, she would just be Mera. Not Aquawoman, not Water Woman, and the one I find most insulting, not Aquawife. Reasons why I might not include her is due to her trademark anger issues and shaky history with Wonder Woman.

So yeah, vote which of these women you’d like to see in my Justice League below. Or, if there’s one not listed who fits the criteria and who you’d like to suggest, feel free in the comments. Also, lemme know if you think Cyborg, Martian Manhunter, or BOTH should be members, and we’ll see what happens. Ja né!

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My 99th Post! Kamen Rider Spotlight: Kamen Rider Fourze

Well, time for another instalment of the Kamen Rider Spotlight, and in honour of both the season that just ended and the memory of the first man to land on the moon, Neil Armstrong, today’s Rider is none other than Kamen Rider Fourze.

“Uchuuu…KITAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”

Gentaro Kisaragi. Fourze. The high school-er. The spaceman. The one who can and will befriend all others. Call him what you will, but above all else, he has earned the title of Kamen Rider, being able to stand strong alongside OOO, W, the Seven Legendary Riders, Decade, and even Gokaiger and Gobuster.

Fourze took the mix/match style of OOO and added a fourth dimension to it, being able to use four different powers at once, one on each hand and foot. With Fourze, he uses the Astroswitches, specialised switches that he inserts into the Fourze Driver that grant him different weapons and tools, even whole new forms called States. The standard ones come in a set of 40, but there are also a few extra ones that have popped up from time to time. The 40 Astroswitches are: Rocket, Launcher, Drill, Radar, Magic Hand, Camera, Parachute, Chainsaw, Hopping, Elek, Scissors, Beat, Chain Array, Smoke, Spike, Winch, Flash, Shield, Gatling, Fire, Stealth, Hammer, Water, Medical, Pen, Wheel, Screw, Hand, Schop, N Magnet, S Magnet, Freeze, Claw, Board, Giantfoot, Aero, Gyro, Net, Stamper, and Cosmic.

“Rider Rocket Drill Kick!”

Base States is his default form. He has a hoverpack on his back that’s actually carried onto his other forms, and can mix and match any of his Astroswitches except for Elek, Fire, N and S Magnet, and Cosmic, as inserting those switches changes his State. His most typical finisher, or Limit Break as it’s called, in this form is the Rider Rocket Drill Kick, which uses the Rocket and Drill switches to send a jet-propelled drill through the target. In the finale, he used this finisher while pulling the level for the Limit Break three times, giving it enough power to defeat the last enemy of the series.

“Rider 10 Billion Volt Break!”

Elek States is the result of using the Elek Switch. In this form, he possesses a higher level of defence, as well as a weapon called Billy the Rod, a rod that has multiple settings allowing for different electrical attacks and manoeuvres, his trademark being the Rider 10 Billion Volt Break. An alternative Limit Break to that is the Rider Lightning Drill Kick.

“Rider Exploding Shoot!”

Fire States is the result of using the Fire Switch. Gosh, I wonder what this does?! Well okay, it DOES give him a gun that shoots flames called the Fire Module Hee-Hackgun, but the gun can also change modes into a fire extinguisher, meaning he can put out any fires started in battle as well. His main Limit Break is the Rider Exploding Shoot, but he also has used an unnamed Limit Break that also adds Launcher and Gatling to the mix for an all out storm of long-range attacks. He kinda redefines the term “fire fighter” in this form.

“Rider Super Electromagnetic Bomber!”

Magnet States is the result of using the NS Magphone in its separated form, the N Magnet and S Magnet Switches. His sheer power goes way higher, as he has dual shoulder cannons that fire high-powered long range blasts and can manipulate magnetic fields. His Limit Break in this form is the Rider Super Electromagnetic Bomber. He can also use the Rider Super Electromagnetic Tackle, wherein he charges up the cannons and tackles the enemy hard.

“Rider Super Galaxy Finish!”

Cosmic States is the result of using the Cosmic Switch, which then absorbs all other switches not currently plugged into the Fourze Driver. The chest plate has buttons for each switch, allowing him to mix and match any of the Astroswitches’ powers, like giving Launcher Freeze’s power for freeze missiles. He can also plug in the Rocket, Elek, Fire, or several other of the right-hand switches into his new weapon, the Barizun Sword, for different effects. His Limit Break in this form is usually two-fold, as the Barizun Sword comes in two modes: Boost and Slash. Using the Limit Break in Boost Mode lets him open up a wormhole into space, then flies his opponent through it. He then follows up by switching to Slash Mode and using its Limit Break, the Rider Super Galaxy Finish. Finally, he has one other Limit Break that uses no other switch: a simple Rider Kick that fuels off the natural power created by the merging of all 40 Astroswitches.

“Rider Tailspin Crusher!”

Rocket States, or Double Rocket States as it’s also been called, is the result of using the special Rocket Switch Super-1. It gives him two rockets for the price of one, and the rockets can even temporarily de-materialize so that he has a hand to changes switches or pull the Limit Break lever. He has two Limit Breaks, the default of which is the Rider Tailspin Crusher, a high-speed corkscrew kick. The other is the Rider Double Rocket Drill Kick, which is an advanced form of the Rider Rocket Drill Kick.

“Rider Rocket Drill Blast!”

Rocket Drill States is the result of using the Clear Drill Switch. Because of it’s unique and unbalanced form and the fact that he’s only used it once, I’m going to guess that it’s somewhat unstable. Nonetheless, the Limit Break is the Rider Rocket Drill Blast, a huge punch from the rocket powered and propelled drill.

“Rider Fusion Drill Kick!“

Meteor Fusion States is the result of using the Fusion Switch with Kamen Rider Meteor’s Meteor Switch. In this form, he can use Meteor’s Jeet Kun Do style martial arts, as well as wield both Meteor’s Fingerprint Authentication Brace Meteor Galaxy and Barizun Sword from Fourze’s Cosmic States. His Limit Break is the Rider Fusion Drill Kick. Gee, I wonder what switch he uses for that? lol

Anyway, that’s all for now. Ja ne!